WaterWiki:Current events
__toc__ September 2008 *Shortage of water forces tough decisions August 2008 *Scientists alarmed by ocean dead-zone growth *Krill rebound - key link in ocean food chain *State officials planning to harvest ocean's fishing litter *Desalination Closer to Reality in California July 2008 *http://home.slac.stanford.edu/pressreleases/2008/20080630.htm - It appears that our understanding of the molecular structure of liquid water has not been entirely correct. *Greenhouse gases called threat to Pacific life - sea water is becoming more acidic. *Elwha River - Special Issue of Northwest Science - As the removal of the Elwha River dams approaches, a new collection of research papers has been published as a Special Issue of the journal Northwest Science. Dam Removal and Ecosystem Restoration in the Elwha River Watershed, Washington State contains 18 papers by university, state, federal, and tribal scientists on various topics associated with studies occurring in the watershed prior to dam removal. Copies of the papers are available for downloading as PDF files from the Peninsula College Center of Excellence website. *The Environmental Defense Fund has released a report titled "Finding the Balance: A Vision for Water Supply and Environmental Reliability in California." The report outlines steps that federal leaders should take to end a vicious cycle of water shortages and environmental near-disasters. June 2008 *‘Owens Valley is the model of what to expect’ *California rainmakers flirt with deluge and death *Bobbing in poison soup - Two men set sail to call attention to the 100 million tons of plastic flotsam fouling the world's oceans. May 2008 *New Climate Report Foresees Big Changes **The effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity in the United States *Daniel Weintraub: Old idea that’s new again: Rainwater harvesting April 2008 New type of ocean current discovered - deep currents that east or west across the oceans. Warming could push Colorado to historic low Water pollution: Dawn of the 'Dead Zones' January 2008 Report: Water supplies will dwindle in California Some scary water stats from an expert December 2007 A new report has been issued by UCLA and USF researchers for the State Water Board. Labeled "An Evaluation of Compensatory Mitigation Projects Permitted Under Clean Water Act Section 401 by the California State Water Resources Control Board, 1991-2002", the report explains that while developers are replacing wetlands as part of a "no-net-loss" policy, the biological health of the new wetlands is questionable. In other news, the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force submitted twelve linked recommendations and several proposed near-term actions to protect California's Delta ecosystem and the state’s water supply to Governor Schwarzenegger. The details can be found in "Our Vision for the California Delta". October 2007 ;Oct 1 :A warning concerning toxic blue-green algae has been issued for the Klamath River. details... ;Oct 2 :The latest issue of http://www.unesco.org/water/news/newsletter/192.shtml#news_1 is now available. ;Oct 29 :Many States Seen Facing Water Shortages September 2007 ;Sep 25 :The 8th Biennial State of the Estuary Conference, entitled A Greener Shade of Blue, will be held October 16-18 at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. Hosted by the San Francisco Estuary Project, the conference provides an ecological assessment of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. Online registration is open and the conference program is also available online. ;Sep 26 :The 2007 Riparian Habitat Joint Venture Conference will take place on December 4-6 at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento. :This 2 1/2 day symposium will feature a plenary session, concurrent sessions, and a poster session focused on the research, management, collaboration, and issues facing California to both prevent and manage floods and conserve, protect, and restore riparian habitat across the State. Major themes of the 2007 symposium include flood control and protection; habitat, species, and natural community conservation; protecting and sustaining agriculture; and the health and safety of urban communities. ;Sep 27 :Accelerating Arctic melting could change weather patterns in region, bring less rain ;Sep 28 :The Salmonid Restoration Federation will offer two intensive workshops for engineers, hydrologists, biologists, environmental planners, and other staff who are involved in the design and implementation of fish passage projects. The workshop will cover the design and implementation process, including biological considerations, site surveys and geomorphic assessment, state and federal fish passage design guidance, stream simulation design, grade control techniques, retrofitting existing crossings, contracting and implementation, monitoring and adaptation. :They will take place November 7-9 in Santa Cruz, CA and November 13-15 in Santa Rosa, CA. :Mail in the registration form by October 12 August 2007 ;Aug 1 :Money approved for probe of perchlorate ;Aug 21 :California Looks at Big Picture of Ocean Management June 2007 ;June 7 :The Department of Homeland Security has made available a strategic roadmap for future water-specific security efforts. The Water Sector Specific Plan is designed to provide a framework for integrating Water Sector infrastructure in ensure water security for the future. ;June 21 :Climatologist presents an inconvenient water truth at symposium - Southern California climate to get drier. ;June 24 :Nitrates seep into aquifers Research links water supply contamination to farming ;June 25 :Coastal zones set agenda on climate Rising ocean levels continue to be an increasing issue. May 2007 ;May 14 :The Warming Sierra: Water woes ahead ;May 30 :Watershed Plan Builder Tool and Planning website is a site run by the EPA that is now available for public testing.